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Tormenta de Santa Rosa (Storm of Saint Rosa)

I am sure it is a coincidence : good weather phenomenons are called after male saints and bad weather phenomenons are called after female saints. After the Veranito de San Juan, it looks like we are now getting the Tormentas de Santa Rosa. After the first spring-like days at the end of august, beginning of september, come the thunderstorms. Named after the saint Santa Rosa de Lima.

The legend says that in 1615, the city of Lima feared an attack by Dutch pirates, and a nun called Sister Rosa (real name Isabel Flores de Oliva) prayed for salvation, and just when the Dutch were about to arrive, a heavy storm prevented them from attacking the city….

Eventhough it as been a while since the Dutch (or others) tried to attack ‘us’, the thunderstorms always come around this period, as it is now that the first warm winds bring an air of spring to the southern hemisphere, and they are always followed by thunderstorms. Some say these storms are the worst storms of the year, but statistics don’t confirm this.

We have just had (and are still having) these first warm winds together with our first days of spring weather. Let’s just wait and see what Santa Rosa has in store this year.